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Special Olympics Research

Closing the Gap: A National Blueprint to Improve the Health of Persons with Mental Retardation*

"Closing the Gap: A National Blueprint to Improve the Health of Persons with Mental Retardation" is a 2002 report of the Surgeon General's Conference on Health
Disparities and Mental Retardation: "Like other Americans, persons
with mental retardation (MR)* grow up, grow old, and need good
health and health care services in their communities...People with
MR are remaining in their communities. In ever-increasing numbers,
people with MR either do not enter institutions, or they leave them
to live with their families or in other community settings, and
they are determined to understand and take charge of their health.
But in most cases, neither the education and training of health
professionals nor other elements of the Nation's health system have
been updated to reflect their progress. Especially as adolescents
and adults, people with MR and their families face evergrowing
challenges in finding and financing primary and specialty health
care that responds both to the characteristics of MR and to the
distinctive health care needs of each stage of life.

"The purpose of this Blueprint is to set forth an agenda from the
community for national, State, and local action, in both public and
private sectors, to improve the health of individuals with MR and
to include them fully in health systems that meet their
needs.

"Realizing the goals of this Blueprint calls for partnerships at
all levels of public and private endeavor, from government
agencies, legislatures, corporations, foundations, research and
health care organizations, universities, and accreditation boards
for health professions schools and training, to self-advocates,
their families, local businesses and schools, voluntary, civic and
faith-based organizations, individual clinical practices, and
community-based health care services for other vulnerable
populations."

* Note: In 2004, Special Olympics updated its official
terminology from "mental retardation" to "intellectual
disabilities" - previously the term mental retardation was used
throughout the Special Olympics movement because of its specific
meaning in clinical and academic settings. Other terminology -
including cognitive delay, intellectual disabilities, intellectual
handicaps, learning disability, mental disabilities and mental
handicaps - is used around the world.